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Three Big Things To Know To Start Your Day

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Three Big Things To Know To Start Your Day

President Trump's revised travel ban has gone into effect and things have been far less chaotic than the initial ban in January. Iraq declared victory over ISIS after its forces reclaimed Mosul, but counter-terrorism experts say the militant group still poses a big threat. And Germany's parliament has voted to legalize same-sex marriage.

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Trump's revised travel ban is officially in effect.

The implementation of the revised ban was far less chaotic on Thursday night than when the initial ban went into effect in January.

“We’re not expecting anything terrible to happen. We really don’t think we’re going to see the impact at the airports. We could be wrong. Obviously we’re here because we don’t want to be wrong but if we are we’re ready,” said Camille Mackler, director of legal initiatives at the New York Immigration Coalition, adding that more lawyers, interpreters, and tech people were on call just in case.

The travel ban — a 90-day halt on some travel from six Muslim-majority nations — has been substantially downsized from its original iteration. Although the January ban effectively halted all travel from seven nations — Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen — the second ban removed Iraq from the list and also clarified that lawful permanent residents of the United States would not be included in the ban.

James Lawler Duggan / Reuters

WE'RE KEEPING AN EYE ON

It’s too soon to declare victory over ISIS. But Iraq did it anyway.

The Iraqi government declared Thursday that Iraq was rid of ISIS after its forces reclaimed Mosul, the country’s second-largest city, from the terror group. There was just one problem: Almost no one agreed with the assessment that the war on ISIS in Iraq was all but over.

The US military said at least three other ISIS-controlled Iraqi cities face the kind of military campaigns that have all but destroyed other cities in the push to free them. Aid organizations said life in Mosul remains fragile, even after its near liberation. And a report released Wednesday by a top counter-terrorism research group noted that the freeing of Iraqi cities hasn’t ended ISIS’s threat to the country.

Germany's parliament voted to legalize same-sex marriage.

The measure, which was passed with a much bigger majority than expected, grants full rights to gay and lesbian couples and clears the way for them to adopt children. Chancellor Angela Merkel voted against it, sticking to her long-held beliefs.

“For me, marriage as it’s meant in the constitution is marriage between a man and a women, and that’s why I voted against today," Merkel said after the vote. "It was a long, intense, and emotionally touching debate.”

Afp Contributor / AFP / Getty Images

MP´s from the Green party celebrate with confetti following a debate and vote on same-sex marriage.

QUICK THINGS TO KNOW

World: The British government said it will fund abortions in England and Wales for women from Northern Ireland.

US news: The nation’s first cannabis cafés are set to open in Denver, but strict rules may keep them from popping up across the country. And the future of health care could be humans, robots, or both.

Science: Poor US counties in the South will suffer the most economic damage as a result of climate change, a new study found.

Entertainment: Netflix said it’ll bring backSense8 for a two-hour finale after fierce campaigning from fans. Even though she’s happy with changes made after the Bachelor in Paradise incident, Corinne Olympios isn’t going back. And all the lady wrestlers of Glow, ranked (spoilers, obvi).